Read the following and select the correct answer from the code given below: Assertion (A): The National Human Rights Commission is to be headed by a person who has been a former Chief Justice of India. Reason (R): The Chairperson of NHRC holds office for a term of 5 years of till he attains the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier.

The correct answer is C, because both the assertion and the reason are true.

Under Section 3(2) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, the Chairperson of the NHRC must be a person who has been a Chief Justice of India. The eligibility bar is high because the Chairperson is expected to carry the stature of the apex judicial office while examining complaints, including those against the state itself.

Under Section 6(1), the Chairperson and members hold office for five years or until they attain the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier. So the reason is also true.

• Option A is wrong because the reason correctly states the tenure rule in Section 6(1).
• Option B is wrong because the assertion correctly states the eligibility condition in Section 3(2).
• Option D is wrong because both statements match the Act.

The reason does not explain the assertion. Both are independent statutory provisions, and the question tests whether you can verify each one separately. This sits under the Polity syllabus on statutory bodies, and in Mains it links to debates on the independence and effectiveness of human rights institutions.

Trap: Candidates assume that a reason which sounds connected must explain the assertion. The question only asks whether each statement is true. Also do not confuse the 70-year age limit for NHRC office-holders with judicial retirement ages.